Tuesday, January 24, 2012
:sigh:
Here we go again with the sleep issues...and it's our fault again.
I'm sitting here outside Evans room listening to him scream and cry while he jumps around his room in utter frustration that I will not go in and lay down with him to fall asleep. He's probably pretty aggravated that we no longer want to continue the two hour bedtime routine of trying to get him to fall asleep. I think he's FINALLY settling down in his bed and I hear the little whimper/sniffles from his cries. It never feels any better listening to your child cry. :-(
Ugh.
Signed,
Frustrated and Heartbroken
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Weaning
I think we're making some great progress! E nursed for about 20 seconds on Sunday and today he asked to nurse again. I had told him that once G had finished he could have some. I was hoping that he'd forget or become distracted by something else. However, once G finished he said to me,"Baby finish, me have momma milk now." when I responded with "in a little bit", he said, "baby finish, momma say me have milk".
Yes, my child not only remembered what I said, but quoted me!
When I said he could nurse, I asked if he remembered and he said yes. But when he went to nurse, there was a little hesitation, when he usually goes in as though he's about to devour me. He latched on, but very lightly, I counted to 10, but I don't think he actually had any milk.
Either way, I think we're heading in the right direction!
G is 5 months!
This little stinker is 5 months old!
Ain't he a doll?
One of the things that I love most about this kiddo is his ability to smile at everything. It could be at a person, the dog's tail wagging, my hair swinging back and forth while changing his diaper/clothes, the sound of a recognizable voice, or his brother making him laugh. I love that he smiles at everything.
There wasn't a well child visit this month, but I'm guessing he's probably around the 17-18 pound mark. He's getting a bit too snug in his 6 month jammies and onesies, so I might have to bring out the next tub of clothes one size up!
Here are some of his recent activities/updates:
- This child still only poops about once a week, but he has the most foul smelling gas. You know - silent, but deadly?
- He isn't too fond of tummy time or being on the floor at all really. He'd much rather be sitting up and taking in the world around him, especially his brother, or being held.
- G likes to stand as much as he can. If he's sitting in your lap, he will arch his back and straighten his legs to try to stand. Think it might be time to get the activity jumper put together again.
- Rolls from tummy to back, but no back to tummy yet. He gets onto his side (sometimes).
- Drools nonstop. My mom usually puts a bib on him while we're at work so that the doesn't have to continuously change his clothes each day.
- I think I'm starting to see what may bud into teeth soon on his bottom gums.
- Swinging my hair back and forth makes him laugh hysterically
- He now sits at the dinner table with us when we eat. I'm pretty sure that he thinks it's torture to watch us eat and he doesn't get too because it seems as though he starts salivating and then starts chewing the excess saliva. I'm thinking that once he does start solids, he's going to love eating more than he already does.
- Can fall asleep nursing, being held, or in his crib with/without a pacifier.
- His naps are still pretty irregular in length.
- Likes to be swaddled to sleep, but very easily gets himself out of it within a few hours of night time sleep.
- Loves to watch his brother and tries to watch the t.v.(so we have to turn him around or move to another room)
- Makes us unbelievably happy!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
growing
I remember telling Paul when I was pregnant with G that from the time our kids were conceived, all they're going to do is grow - and how sad it made me.
Don't get me wrong, I look forward to the experiences we have yet to encounter and I look forward to seeing what type of men they will turn into. But at the same time, it's sad to see little bits of babyhood disappear.
For example:
E no longer says "wawa" for water. Instead, he says "water". Just one little piece of him being a baby is gone. He now also says "Gama" instead of "Nama" for grandma.
The last time he nursed was Sunday and it was only for about 20 seconds. Each day he has asked for milk, but I can either say he can have some later or I distract him with something else (going outside, blueberries, chocolate milk). He only asked once today (in the evening) and when I told him we could have some later, he was ok with it, and didn't ask again. Twice now he's pointed out when G has been eating, "Baby all done. Me Momma milk?" and then goes in to pretend to have some, but never latches on.
E has been talking so much more now, too. Just the other day he said hippopotamus and is chunking together almost complete sentences. He loves to sing the Hokey Pokey, ABC's, Frosty the Snowman, I've Been Working on the Railroad, the theme song to Wonder Pets, My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, and Oh, Dear What Can the Matter Be, and Oh, The Big Ship Sails on the Ali-ali-o. He ran into our bedroom as I was getting ready for work and excitedly tells me, "Momma! Really, really, really big bubbles! Out dere, in da sake!" Apparently Paul was making a fruit shake and it started bubbling while it was being blended.
He picked up a palm frawn the other day on a bike ride with Paul and had many splinters get into the palm of his had. I had to take him to the doctor's office to have some of them removed. He was such a good sport at first and colored while the doctor looked at his hand. But once the digging and removing of the splinters started, the poor little guy began to cry hysterically and bury his face into my shoulders. He was tough though because he never once tried to move his hand away from the doctor.
As far as G goes, I'll talk more about him in his 5 month post this weekend. That also amazes me...he's going to be 5 months old. It's gone by so much faster than it did with E and I feel like I'm missing so much of it.
He still loves going outside and we try to get him out when the weather is nice enough. He loves to ride his bicycle (with training wheels) and sings while he does so. Today E started school again for the spring. My parents told me that he's now one of the big kids in the class (the age range is 18-36 months). The teachers in the class can't wait for G to be old enough to go, so they said they'd take him sooner!
E still loves his brother about 95% of the time. He starts to get frustrated when he's doing something fun (and alone with me, Paul, or my mom) and we have to stop to get G because he's crying. But nonetheless, he give his brother kisses and hugs each day, throughout the day.
Don't get me wrong, I look forward to the experiences we have yet to encounter and I look forward to seeing what type of men they will turn into. But at the same time, it's sad to see little bits of babyhood disappear.
For example:
E no longer says "wawa" for water. Instead, he says "water". Just one little piece of him being a baby is gone. He now also says "Gama" instead of "Nama" for grandma.
The last time he nursed was Sunday and it was only for about 20 seconds. Each day he has asked for milk, but I can either say he can have some later or I distract him with something else (going outside, blueberries, chocolate milk). He only asked once today (in the evening) and when I told him we could have some later, he was ok with it, and didn't ask again. Twice now he's pointed out when G has been eating, "Baby all done. Me Momma milk?" and then goes in to pretend to have some, but never latches on.
E has been talking so much more now, too. Just the other day he said hippopotamus and is chunking together almost complete sentences. He loves to sing the Hokey Pokey, ABC's, Frosty the Snowman, I've Been Working on the Railroad, the theme song to Wonder Pets, My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, and Oh, Dear What Can the Matter Be, and Oh, The Big Ship Sails on the Ali-ali-o. He ran into our bedroom as I was getting ready for work and excitedly tells me, "Momma! Really, really, really big bubbles! Out dere, in da sake!" Apparently Paul was making a fruit shake and it started bubbling while it was being blended.
He picked up a palm frawn the other day on a bike ride with Paul and had many splinters get into the palm of his had. I had to take him to the doctor's office to have some of them removed. He was such a good sport at first and colored while the doctor looked at his hand. But once the digging and removing of the splinters started, the poor little guy began to cry hysterically and bury his face into my shoulders. He was tough though because he never once tried to move his hand away from the doctor.
He still loves going outside and we try to get him out when the weather is nice enough. He loves to ride his bicycle (with training wheels) and sings while he does so. Today E started school again for the spring. My parents told me that he's now one of the big kids in the class (the age range is 18-36 months). The teachers in the class can't wait for G to be old enough to go, so they said they'd take him sooner!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
c-section
I don't typically post this kind of stuff on here and use this blog more for my family "stuff". But I figure this would be a place to start.
I must admit, it took me a LONG time to get over having had a cesarean section with E. Prior to going into labor, I always thought that if I needed it to save my life or his, that I would be ok with it. Was mine necessary at the time? Yes. Could it have been prevented? Possibly.
What I didn't expect was how I would feel AFTER having had one.
As I've mentioned on my blog before, I do not recall most of the day after E's birth. I have few memories of the hours after his birth, but gained a better understanding of what happened from my family and friend that were with me and pictures that were taken. I DO remember falling asleep, looking at him while I held him before he nursed for the first time, and wondering why everyone was holding my baby except me. I DON'T remember nursing E for the first time, vomiting, going back to my room, leaving the OR, the nurse cleaning E, Paul holding him (as I later saw from videos), or much of the conversations that took place that day.
It didn't hit me until months later that I felt cheated from what birth should be and how it should feel. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my son. I am thankful that I have him and was able to have him.
There were many times when I would watch t.v. shows, such as A Baby Story on TLC, and just cry when I would see mothers having vaginal births wishing that could have been me. Then I would cry for the moms going in to have a c-section hoping that they wouldn't feel the way that I did. Leading up to G's birth, I had such a great fear of needing a repeat c-section. I came home crying from my first ICAN meeting because they were discussing uterine rupture and going under general anesthesia if I planned a natural birth and needed an emergency c-section. These were things that I was trying to keep out of my mind in order to be in the positive place that I needed to be in for labor. Luckily, I had an amazing doula that called me afterwards and got me back into the right frame of mind. My husband helped with that too! It took me a long time to release the hurt and fear of what I had experienced.
When it looked like I was going to possibly need a repeat c-section, I was willing to try anything and everything to keep me from it. My doctor mentioned forceps and I agreed. If it meant that G would be healthy and I could have a vaginal birth, then I was all for it.
I am also thankful that I was able to experience a vaginal birth with G. I was able to see him be born and hold him and touch his little body covered in blood and goop and vernix. I remember nursing him and watching EVERY MINUTE of it. I remember watching the nurses give him to me. I remember P falling asleep on the couch. I remember being moved from my delivery room to my recovery room and staring and talking to G on our way there. I remember how much I wished I could have had that with E.
With that being said, I was asking Paul the other day if other women felt the way that I did about birth. Or, if other women were "ok" (for lack of a better word) with their cesarean sections, whether they were planned or not.
I feel like I'm being called to do something about this, but I'm not sure just what it is. I have had many friends give birth since E was born and it seems as though most of them end in the operating room. I'm just boggled by that, but I know that the c-section rate keeps rising.
I guess for now, I just want to know how other's feel about their experience with a c-section. Feel free to share if you like. Thank you for letting me share mine.
P.S. - My scar did not look like that a year afterwards. In fact, two and half years later, it is still brownish-purplish. Yours?
I must admit, it took me a LONG time to get over having had a cesarean section with E. Prior to going into labor, I always thought that if I needed it to save my life or his, that I would be ok with it. Was mine necessary at the time? Yes. Could it have been prevented? Possibly.
What I didn't expect was how I would feel AFTER having had one.
It didn't hit me until months later that I felt cheated from what birth should be and how it should feel. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my son. I am thankful that I have him and was able to have him.
There were many times when I would watch t.v. shows, such as A Baby Story on TLC, and just cry when I would see mothers having vaginal births wishing that could have been me. Then I would cry for the moms going in to have a c-section hoping that they wouldn't feel the way that I did. Leading up to G's birth, I had such a great fear of needing a repeat c-section. I came home crying from my first ICAN meeting because they were discussing uterine rupture and going under general anesthesia if I planned a natural birth and needed an emergency c-section. These were things that I was trying to keep out of my mind in order to be in the positive place that I needed to be in for labor. Luckily, I had an amazing doula that called me afterwards and got me back into the right frame of mind. My husband helped with that too! It took me a long time to release the hurt and fear of what I had experienced.
When it looked like I was going to possibly need a repeat c-section, I was willing to try anything and everything to keep me from it. My doctor mentioned forceps and I agreed. If it meant that G would be healthy and I could have a vaginal birth, then I was all for it.
I am also thankful that I was able to experience a vaginal birth with G. I was able to see him be born and hold him and touch his little body covered in blood and goop and vernix. I remember nursing him and watching EVERY MINUTE of it. I remember watching the nurses give him to me. I remember P falling asleep on the couch. I remember being moved from my delivery room to my recovery room and staring and talking to G on our way there. I remember how much I wished I could have had that with E.
With that being said, I was asking Paul the other day if other women felt the way that I did about birth. Or, if other women were "ok" (for lack of a better word) with their cesarean sections, whether they were planned or not.
I feel like I'm being called to do something about this, but I'm not sure just what it is. I have had many friends give birth since E was born and it seems as though most of them end in the operating room. I'm just boggled by that, but I know that the c-section rate keeps rising.
(Image from http://pregnancy.about.com/od/cesareansection/ss/c-section-scars_10.htm)
P.S. - My scar did not look like that a year afterwards. In fact, two and half years later, it is still brownish-purplish. Yours?
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Winter Vacation, part 3
Day #11 - The day after E's vomiting incident, we had planned to go up to Williams for the Polar Express. We waited for a few hours in the morning to see if he would still be sick. He only vomited some fluid soon after waking, so we decided to go ahead and make the trek up anyway. We left around noon with E, and G stayed home with my parents overnight. (This was my first time leaving G and being the second child doesn't make it any easier. I still cried when we left.) E did fairly well on the ride up. He had napped earlier that morning, so he didn't sleep on the way up, even though he was pretty close to it a few times. When we arrived at the hotel, Paul's sister and her family pulled up just as we did. E was REALLY excited to see his cousins! We checked in, and then went walking around to check things out and pick up our tickets.
Paul's sister, Paul, and Paul's brother-in-law
We headed back to the hotel to change into our pajamas and then have some dinner before the train ride. I was exited to hear E asking for food, but as we were eating dinner, E got down from his chair and vomited some more fluid. This time, he aimed at me. I had to rush back to the hotel room to change after eating. E managed to enjoy the train ride (somewhat). We had a lot of fun singing songs, listening to the Polar Express, eating cookies and hot chocolate, and even meeting Santa! He also gave each child a bell! After our fun ride to the North Pole, it was time for bed.
Cousins
Our chefs
Paul's sister and her family
Asleep with his bell
Caught a snowball in mid-flight!
Trying to make a snowman
Not happy to go home
Once we arrived back into town, we dropped off our things at home, had some lunch, then headed down to my parent's house to pick up G and celebrate Christmas with them. My mom rocked and made my grandmother's spaghetti recipe. It was delicious!
Day #13 - We FINALLY had the chance to relax. We had nothing planned to do that day. Yahoo!
Day #14 - E had his speech therapy session and his SLP says he is doing so well! We have a meeting to rewrite his family goals and talk about the preschools screening process. (Preschool, already!?)
Day #15 - New Year's Eve- We went to Paul's dad's house to hang out with his sister and her kids. After naps, we headed to the zoo for a bit. We arrived about 25 minutes until closing, but actually didn't leave until 45 minutes AFTER closing. Oh well! Paul and I celebrated NYE with Mexican food, a movie, and champagne. It was just the kind of night we needed!
Day #16 - New Year's Day - We headed to my mother-in-law's for a family get together. Other than the fact that G didn't nap well (or at all) while we were there, the day went pretty well!
Today was Paul's last day of vacation and I am not looking forward to him going back. Heck, I'm not looking forward for ME to be going back to work on Tuesday. I've had way too much fun with the kids, even though there were some rough patches. These vacations make me realize how much I am missing out on when I'm at work, but I'm so thankful that I have a profession that allows me to have these breaks!
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